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Outsourcing Is Not (Always) Evil

David Bornstein

December 08, 2011 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The United States can outsource certain kinds of "microwork," such as accurately digitizing large swaths of information, to developing countries without taking jobs from Americans ― if it’s done carefully, and ethically, as some organizations are working to do. As the author Robert Wright has argued, we no longer live in a zero-sum world, where one person’s, or one country’s gain, must be another’s loss.

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Making Low-Interest Auto Loans Work

Lisa Margonelli

August 16, 2011 |

The New York Times |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Vermont

When you don’t live in a city, if you don’t have a car, you don’t have a job. But car payments can eat up a salary quickly - a New England program offers low-cost car loans to people who need them most.

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On the Road, and Out of the Red

Lisa Margonelli

August 11, 2011 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Keene, New Hampshire

More Than Wheels, a New Hampshire-based non-profit offers an economically stable solution to the high cost of owning a car. The program offers low-cost car loans that go toward the purchase of fuel-efficient vehicles.

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Out of Poverty, Family-Style

David Bornstein

July 14, 2011 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Boston, Massachusetts

A non-traditional program called the Family Independence Initiative (F.I.I.), uses a radically different approach from the traditional American social service model to empower entire families alleviate themselves from poverty. The results in multiple states thus far have been so striking, that this model of self-sufficiency may be able to have a significant impact reducing poverty nationwide.

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Paying for Their Crimes, Again

Tina Rosenberg

June 06, 2011 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Boston, Massachusetts

Felons get out of jail owing hundreds or thousands of dollars in court and parole fees, acting as an often insurmountable barrier preventing them from reintegrating into society and staying out of jail. What's worse, these fees often end up costing the state more than they produce. Two columns on a program called the Clapham Set, which erases or reduces debts for felons who take classes and job training.

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A Way to Pay for College, With Dividends

David Bornstein

June 02, 2011 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Washington, District of Columbia

Low-income students are always looking for ways to finance their education. A new system using “human capital contracts” to pay for higher education isn’t as scary as it sounds.

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Instead of Student Loans, Investing in Futures

David Bornstein

May 30, 2011 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Colombia

For millions of students who could succeed in college, the limiting factor is money. Is it possible to finance higher education the way we finance start-up companies? A company called Lumni uses “human capital contracts” to offer loans for students contingent upon 14 percent of the student's salary for 118 months after graduation. There are risks to this approach and not a lot of years or data available to be sure of its efficacy, but results are promising already—with a default rate under 3 percent.

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Doing More Than Praying for Rain

Tina Rosenberg

May 09, 2011 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Kenya, Nanyuki, Laikipia

Most insurance companies avoid insuring poor farmers because the transaction costs are too high, but a non-profit in Kenya created a sustainable way to cover them.

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On the Web, a Revolution in Giving

Tina Rosenberg

March 31, 2011 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

New crowdfunding options can help even the smallest donor's contributions to have a meaningful impact, bolstering a sense of personal involvement, maximizing knowledge about causes, and inspiring greater participation.

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How to Grow a Social Business

Tina Rosenberg

February 04, 2011 |

The New York Times |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Guatemala, Antigua Guatemala

Two columns on microconsignment, a new variation on microcredit that helps poor people living in developing countries - particularly women in rural villages - start small social businesses without taking on debt or requiring previous business skills. The organization, Soluciones Comunitarias, partners with a non-profit and a university student program to manage the supply chain and other components of the business necessary to support the social entrepreneurs in successful micro-ventures.

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